Dark is the Night
by mindovermatter7
Summary: The Final Battle and the events that follow. Rating for later chapters, because you never know where it could go. I'm really bad at summaries, so please R & R!


**A/N: This was originally supposed to be a one-shot, but I changed my mind. So that's why there are song lyrics. I may take them off later. I don't know, I haven't decided yet.**

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**Disclaimer:** Although my name is Jo and I am a writing genius (Ha ha, I wish) I do not own Harry Potter or any affiliated characters. I also do not own this song (Win by Brian McKnight). All I own are this plot and my soul (I think).

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The world was black. Blacker than the obsidian of the earth. Even with the moon and stars gone from sight, the sky was unnaturally dark. 

_Dark is the night_

Harry stood on a hill, surveying the battle below. He watched as it played out in front of his eyes, the ultimate battle. The never-ending fight between good and evil. He found Hermione and Ron, backs to each other, taking down death eaters right and left. He watched as Fred and George led the air strike, dropping militarily modified tricks from their shop. He saw all the Weasley's and the Order, including Percy, who had finally come to his senses; fight not only for their lives and their freedom, but the freedom of mankind, wizard and muggle alike. Freedom from the terror. Freedom to live, to laugh, to love.

_I can weather the storm_

Rain pelted at his face. It seemed as if the world was crying for all the blood seeping into its core. He scanned the battlefield for the one thing, for it was no more human than the ground he stood on, that would end the bloody slaughter once and for all.

_Never say die_

Harry saw Ginny, fighting three death eaters at a time. He swore that if they both were still living after this was all over, he would never leave her side again. Ever.

_I've been down this road before._

The field below lit up with a multitude of curses, of all different strengths and colors. The Order was trying as hard as they could, but if Harry did not defeat Voldemort soon, all their efforts will be in vain.

_I'll never quit_

_I'll never lay down_

He, Ron, and Hermione had destroyed all the Horcruxes, the diary from second year, the ring, the locket, the cup, Ravenclaw's quill, and Nagini. It had taken them a year, many injuries, many obstacles, and many realizations, but they had done it. They had returned to Hogwarts only to find it under siege by death eaters and a swarm of dark creatures. They joined the Order and leaped into the battle. Harry had been searching for Voldemort ever since.

_See I promised myself I would never let me down_

"**TOM! SHOW YOUR COWARDLY FACE! COME AND FIGHT ME! COME AND LET'S END THIS," **Harry shouted to the sky. All of a sudden, Voldemort apparated in front of him. He sneered.

"Foolish boy. You think you can kill me. You're nothing but a worthless orphan, just asking me to kill him."

"Tom, Tom, Tom. Always were a bit over confident, weren't you," Harry taunted. Voldemort began to fume at the use of his Christian name. "If I recall correctly, you were once an orphan too. So I believe I could say the same about you. Because Tom, as alike as we are, there are two major differences between you and I. I am loved. Can you say the same about your death eaters? When you die, will they mourn or will they run," he questioned, calmly. With that love, I am 100 times stronger than you will ever be."

"Your mommy's not here to save you, O Chosen One. Nothing can save you now. What is the second difference."

At this, Harry slightly smiled. "You are at the beginning of the end of you life. Now come Tom, stop wasting time and face me."

"As you wish," Voldemort shrugged. "**_EXPELIARMUS_!**"

_So I'll never give up  
Never give in  
_

Harry easily dodged it. "Come now Tommy-boy, is that the best you can do."

Voldemort growled. Soon curses, jinxes, hexes, and other various spells were being fired in rapid succession. Some found their target, others bounced off in a different direction.

_Never let a ray of doubt slip in  
And if I fall  
I'll never fade  
I'll just get up and try again  
Never lose hope  
Never lose faith  
There's much too much at stake  
Upon myself I must depend  
I'm not looking for a place ashore  
I'm gonna win  
_

Harry was tiring. He knew neither of them could keep this up for too much longer. He needed to end this now. He heard Ginny scream, but kept going, trying to ignore all but what he had to do.

_Won't stop me now  
There's still a ways to go  
Some way somehow  
Whatever it takes I know_

_I'll never quit  
I'll never go down  
I'll make sure they remember my name 100 years from now_

He took a deep breath. "**_AVADA KEDAVRA_**!" A giant jet of green light shot out from the tip of his wand. Voldemort met the curse with his own, and, as Harry knew it would, a Priori Incantatem occurred, but unlike the last time, Harry's wand began to overpower Voldemort's.

_So I'll never give up  
Never give in  
Never let a ray of doubt slip in  
And if I fall  
I'll never fade  
I'll just get up and try again  
Never lose hope  
Never lose faith  
There's much too much at stake  
Upon myself I must depend  
I'm not looking for a place ashore  
I'm gonna win  
_

He knew it wasn't enough though. So he began to mutter the words he hoped would end it all.

_When it's all said and done_  
_My once in a lifetime won't be back again  
Now is the time, for me to stand  
Here is my chance, that's why I'll_

"I call upon the powers that be. I call upon the wind, the water, the earth, the fire, the sky," Harry began quietly.

As Voldemort heard him he began to laugh. "Call on any power you want little boy. They won't save you now.

"I call in the name of all that is sacred. I call in the name of peace, truth, and justice. I call in the name of honesty, loyalty, and honor," Harry kept going, getting louder as he went. The sneer started to slip from Voldemort's face as Harry began to rise off the ground and as his spell came closer and closer to conquering the other.

"I call in the name of James, of Lily, of Cedric, of Sirius, of Albus, of all those that have died at this creature's hand. I call in the name of all that is good." The battle on the ground ceased as all turned their faces upward to the events unfolding on the hill. Harry's voice was now at a roar, as his spell was centimeters away from completing its goal.

Harry was ensconced in the spell as the people he named flashed through his mind. As he was about to finish the spell other faces took their place. Ron, Hermione, Remus, Tonks, all the Weasleys, the Order, Ginny.

"**I CALL IN THE NAME OF LOVE**!" As he screamed these last words, the spell made contact and the entire area was bathed in bright, green light. They say that that light was seen throughout the world. Muggles excused it as some strange, cosmic phenomenon, but the Wizarding community held its breath, praying that it meant the end.

_So I'll never give up  
Never give in  
Never let a ray of doubt slip in  
And if I fall  
I'll never fade  
I'll just get up and try again  
Never lose hope  
Never lose faith  
There's much too much at stake  
Upon myself I must depend  
I'm not looking for a place ashore  
I'm gonna win  
_

As the light faded, Ginny broke away from the rest and began to run up the hill. Ron and Hermione were steps behind her.

"**HARRY! HARRY WHERE ARE YOU**," Ginny called as she reached the top of the hill. Off to one side she could see the crumpled form of what used to be the all-powerful Lord Voldemort, reduced to a very frail, very dead Tom Morvolo Riddle.

Then, in the light of the rising dawn, she saw it. A glint of light off his glasses. "**HARRY**," she screeched, as she slid down the hill to his side. Ron and Hermione held each other as they gazed down at the fragile form of their best friend.

"Harry, Harry, come on Harry, wake up," Ginny pleaded with the seemingly lifeless form of her true love, as tears began to stream down her face. "Harry, you did it, we won! Come on Harry, don't you want to be here the celebration? Don't want some of Mum's cake? Please Harry please! Wake up!" Ginny collapsed onto his chest as the tears began to fall even harder, memories of what had happened last year at the funeral completely forgotten.

"Mmm..uhhh," Harry moaned. Ginny bolted up. "What happened? Why do I have a splitting headache? And why am I all wet," he questioned as he slowly began to open his eyes.

"**YOU'RE ALIVE**," Ginny squealed as she grabbed him into a bone-crushing hug. "**YOU DID IT HARRY! WE WON**!" At this last exclamation, all the events from earlier came flooding back to him. He put a hand up to his head.

"Can someone turn down the light? And do you have to be so loud Gin," he asked as he pushed her off him. She looked at him with a mixture of love and hurt shining in her eyes. He grinned.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Oohh, you bloody pr…" She never got to finish her statement as he captured her lips in a fiercely passionate kiss.

"Oi! Get your bloody hands off my sister!" Harry pulled away quickly and looked up at the source of the admonishment. Ron was staring down at him, grinning like mad, his arm draped over Hermione's shoulder, who had begun to cry. Ron offered him a hand and pulled him into another bear hug.

"I knew you could do it mate!"

Harry pulled away and looked at Hermione. "'Mione, what's wrong?"

At this, she launched herself at him with her arms around his neck, hugging fiercely. "You're safe," she said in a barely audible whisper. "You're finally safe."

"Yes 'Mione, I'm safe. We'll never have to worry about him again. And now if you'll excuse me, we don't want to make your boyfriend, Ickle Ronniekins jealous, now do we? And plus, I have one more thing I need to do," he said as he pulled away from Hermione and turned to Ginny, and took her small hands in his.

"Ginny, I promised myself that if we both survived this, that I would do this. I love you more than anything in this world and can't imagine going another day without you by my side. Ginerva Molly Weasley, will you do me the honor of making me the happiest man alive and marrying me?" By the time he was finished, he was down on one knee, Ron was slack-jawed, Hermione was crying again, and Ginny was in total shock.

"Gin, anytime would be good."

This snapped her out of her reverie. "Of course I will, you git! What did you think I was going to say, no?"

Harry stood up and grinned.

"Well, now that I've done that, if you will kindly excuse me…" and he collapsed into Ginny's arms.

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Well, what do you think? Like it? Hate it? Love it? All reviews appreciated. Opinions on whether the lyrics should stay or not would be appreciated. The more reviews I get, the quicker I update! Go on, push that little button. You know you want to. 

Jo


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